Crochet a Basic Cell Phone Pocket!

My mother keeps losing track of her cell phone in her house, so I decided to make her a little pocket to carry it in so that she could either wear around her waist on a belt or around her neck on the days she doesn't have a clothing pocket. Now if I can just get her to remember the acronym RTP (return to pocket), she will be ahead of the game! *smile*

Supplies Needed:
* Red Heart Fashion Crochet Thread, 100% Mercerized Cotton, Size 3, 125 yard ball
* (second one = bits of varigated thread to add to body of fabric)
* Boyds Crochet Hook, size D
* Large Safety Pin or Stitch Keeper (looks like a giant safety pin). If you need to leave your work, thread the stitch keeper through the last loop to keep your work from unraveling until you return.
* Tape measure or ruler.
* Scissors
* Large-eyed yarn needle. (I prefer a slender blunt-end steel needle.).
* 1 (3/4 inch) button.
* Sewing needle and thread to match

Directions:

Step 1. Chain (ch) 32 or enough chains to go around the width of your phone ending on a even number of chains. Don't make it so tight though, that you might not be able get a finger and your thumb into the pocket to retrieve the phone.

Step 2. Single crochet (sc) in each chain across. (31 sc).

(OPTIONAL = At this point, you have a choice. You may crochet your pocket in a flat piece or you may decide to crochet your pocket in the round. Here's directions for both options.)

Step 3a. On the flat = Ch 1. Turn. Sc in each stitch across (31 sc). Repeat this row until your piece measures as long as your cell phone plus one inch. (5 rows = 1 inch).

Step 3b. In the round = Meet the two ends of row together. Slip-Stitch (ss) into the first stitch at the beginning of the first row to make a continuous circle. Ch 1. Make a sc in the same sc you made a slip-stitch in. Continue sc around the row until you come to the end. Repeat. You will be making a tube as long as your mobile phone plus one inch. (Note: I prefer to crochet in the round.)

Step 4a. On the flat = Check your fabric against your phone to see if it is long enough. (My crocheted fabric was 5 inches long). At this point, if you wish, you may end your last row as is, but I wanted to add a decorative edge, which is a reverse single crochet (rsc). To make, ch 1, but do not turn. Without slipping the loop off your hook, slip the tip of your hook back into the last sc you just made and pull up a loop. Sc as usual. You will  sc backwards all across last row, making a rope-like finished edge.

Step 4b. In the round = Check your fabric against your phone to see if it is long enough. My tube was 5 inches long. At this point, if you wish, you may end your last row as is or you may add a decorative edge which is a reverse single crochet (rsc). To make, finish row by ss into sc of last row, then ch 1. Without slipping the loop off your hook, insert your hook back into the last sc you just made and pull up a loop. Sc as usual. Keep going backwards across last row, making a rope-like finished edge.

Step 5a. On the flat = When you come to the end of this rsc row, end off, leaving a long (abt. 15 inches or so) thread tail to whip stitch your flat piece together along the long side to make an open-ended tube. Weave in ends, trim, and turn tube inside out. Flatten tube and figure out where center front is and sew a button on at this point. On opposite side, at center back, attach crochet thread.

Step 5b. In the round = When you come to the end of the rsc row, ss to finish row and ch 1. Fasten a stitch keeper to the ch. This will be your center back. Flatten fabric to figure out front center and sew on a button at that point with needle and thread. Remove stitch keeper and slip your hook back into the loop.

Step 6 = Insert phone into tube. Ch across the top of your mobile telephone, around button and back to starting point (I had 16 chs). Fasten at center back with ss, then to make a belt loop, ch 5 inches long or as long as your tube is. Fasten ch to bottom of tube at center back with a ss. Ch 1.

(On the second phone pocket I made, I shortened this belt loop chain to 3 inches and laid it down the center line to attach it where it ended.Ch 1.)

Step 7 = Sc across chain. If it's hard to sc with phone in tube, remove phone. End row by fastening at top center back with a ss. Ch 1, turn. Continue sc two more rows, fastening with a ss at bottom center point. Fasten off, leaving a long tail (18" to 20" long) of thread. Turn tube inside out and whipstitch end closed. Weave ends in and trim if needed. Turn right side out. You may consider this phone pocket complete with belt loop handle, or you may continue by adding a neck loop .

(On the second phone pocket I made, I added crocheted dangles to the bottom to close the tube. Here's how = flatten tube button side up and attach thread on side. Ch 1, sc, catching both front and back chains, then ch 7, double-crochet (dc) 7 times in 6th chain from end, then sc down remaining chain. SS through front and back of crocheted fabric, ch 1, 2 sc in 2 chs, catching both front and back together, 7 ch, 7 dc in 6th ch, and 5 sc back down ch. Repeat. Continue until you have closed end of tube with 7 or 8 dangles. Fasten off and weave ends in.)

Step 8. Neck Loop = Flatten tube once more to find east and west sides. Attach thread to one of those side points and ch. At any point, to test length of chain, you may insert your cell phone into the pocket again and slip the stitch keeper through the last loop on your chain and the other side of the pocket.  (Since my mother and I are BBW's, I made a chain approximately 30 - 32 inches long.) Remove phone, flatten tube, and attach ch to opposite side. Ch 1, turn, and sc across ch. When at end of row, ss on fabric edge and fasten off. Weave in ends and trim. You may tuck neck loop inside pocket when wearing on your belt.

Walker Bags

I decided I needed a walker bag on my rolling seat walker.

I usually use a cane to help keep my balance when walking as I was diagnosed with vertigo several years ago after I fell and herniated a disc in my lower back. (However I've learned since then, despite the maneuverability of the cane, it can also not stop me from falling if I catch the rubber tip on a stair lip. I crashed several weeks ago at a girlfriend's house and scared her! Oh, my sore knees!) At the same time, I was told I had arthritis in my spine (okay, so that explains the pinched nerve and fire down my leg when I stand or walk too long, huh?) and an extra vertebra. Mom always said she goofed on me -- I was her first pregnancy experiment! She said she should have named me "Grace" instead! *giggle*

I take my walker with me to places where I might have to walk or stand quite a bit. I love having a portable place to sit down when I poop out in pain and the guy(s) might not be done looking. I looked on Pinterest for ideas on how to make one and decided to design one from a quilted black and white crib bumper pad I picked up some time ago junking. I cut out two rectangles the width of my walker back, sewed the ends together and down the center to make two pockets. Next I held up the bag to the walker and guesstimated where to sew the ribbons on.

I was in a hurry to get my walker bag done as I was going shopping with friends the next day, so I sewed ribbons on it to hold it on temporarily. The ribbons won't hold heavy loads, but I thought it might do to hold a water bottle. I will make sturdier handles later with fabric if the need arises.

The basket under the seat also got an fabric insert because previously, when I've used the walker as a shopping cart, I would lose small items through the wires. It worked dandy! See photos.

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You might be interested in reading these posts:

• Brace Bling
• Never Alone
• New and Improved Walker Bag
• Why I'm Refashioning My Wardrobe

I'm a Sewin'

My maternal grandmother said she always saved quilting comforts and crocheting afgans for the winter-time as she stitched, cozy in her snug home, while the cold windstorms howled across the prairie. She made many quilts and afgans for family members and friends alike. I have a butterfly quilt she made for me the year I graduated from high school and two afgans when I married.
Some time ago I saw a blanket idea on Wendy Russell's "She's Crafty" TV show and decided I wanted one too, only mine would go with my current theme of black and white checks. Wendy and her guest cut out nine 15" x 15" squares from the front and back of plain sweatshirts and stitched them together to make a baby-sized blanket.

Armed with a supply list, I went shopping for sweatshirts at my local thrift stores. However I ran into a couple of problems -- most of the shirts I found were printed on the front which I did not want and as most of the shops priced their sweatshirts at $5.00 or more, it didn't seem cost effective to get the size blanket I wanted. As in clothing, one size does not fit all, so on impulse, I checked the price of second-hand velour blankets and they were marked $3.00 each. I was able to eventually find enough to make not only my checked blanket, but also another one pieced together with bits leftover from my black and white blanket between two red and green ones.